With advances in electronics technology modern computer components and other electrical components can operate at high speeds and frequencies, and these electrical components typically generate large amounts of heat. Additionally, such electrical components continue to decrease in size with each succeeding generation released, and it is becoming more and more difficult to effectively dissipate heat from the components using conventional means. The electrical component may frequently operate at increased temperatures, which can lead to degradation or even failure of the component or its associated system.
There are numerous kinds of heat-dissipating devices used to cool electrical components. For example, a typical heat sink device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,331 issued on Dec. 5, 1989. The heat sink includes a pedestal with dissipating fins thereon. The pedestal is attached to a surface of an electrical component, and transfers heat generated from the electrical component to ambient air.
Another kind of heat-dissipating device is a heat pipe, such as that disclosed in China patent 99117239 issued on Feb. 18, 2004. The heat pipe has high heat conductive efficiency, and dissipates heat fast.
A cooling fan is another kind of heat-dissipating device. The fan is used to speed up circulation of air around electrical components, and thereby increase heat convection. A typical example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,824 issued on Jun. 8, 2004.
Other related kinds of heat-dissipating devices include heat conductive materials, such as carbon nanotubes. The heat conductive materials have high thermal conductivity, and are typically employed between an electrical component and a heat sink. The heat conductive materials are used to reduce the thermal resistance between the electrical component and the heat sink. A typical example is found in China patent application 02152003, published on Jun. 2, 2004.
All the devices mentioned above only focus on how to dissipate heat from electrical components, without properly considering how the generated heat might be reused in order to save energy and preserve the environment. What is needed, therefore, is a device which can transfer unwanted heat from an electrical component, and which can also collect the heat for reuse by way of, for example, transformation into electricity or light.